Brian Mueller Email & Phone Number

United States

Direct responsibility for three Departments: Continuous Improvement and Training (M1 University) and Contracts.• Proven leadership skills with ability to influence union workforce (3900+ employees) performance.• Team oriented leader with success in achieving metrics in high op-tempo environment (245,000 annual flight hour program, 536 assigned aircraft).• Recognized by US Army for historic contract performance and awarded the 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 Army Aviation Association of America Materiel Readiness Award.• Authored and program managed the launch of three strategic HR initiatives to improve work environment: “Above the Best” employee recognition program, employee recruiting website and job fair materials, and “Best Place to Work” employee survey.• Architect of Ft Rucker M1 Way business strategy: core values, shared vision, servant leadership model profoundly improving performance and culture.• Researched and applied for Government Grants to fund M1 University training relevant to Ft Rucker mission performance. • Led partnership initiative with Alabama Office of Apprenticeship, reinforcing commitment to workforce development and community outreach.• Developed the customer requirements, application specifications, and program managed the launch of Visual Productivity Planner (VIPER) across five airfields, back shops, and USAF Program to standardize tools enhancing organizational efficiency. • Authored and communicated M1 COVID-19 policy / procedures, ensuring compliance with changing CDC guidelines and General Orders.

Ft. Rucker, Al

Direct responsibility for leading three Departments: Continuous Improvement, Contracts, and the Maintenance Operations Command Center.• Proposal development and financial modeling of multiple equitable adjustments and key contributor to profitable contract modifications and Collective Bargaining Agreement renewal.• Authored USAACE / AMCOM / ACC-Redstone white papers and briefs to build situational awareness of fleet (AH-64 and UH-72) challenges requiring enterprise solutions.• Stood up Maintenance Operations Command Center responsible for fleet visual management, tracking Contract metrics, and conceptualizing first of its kind UH-72 Phase Maintenance organization.• Contributed to Ground and Flight Operating Procedures, simplifying operations, and reducing risk.

Ft. Rucker, Al

• Evaluated Point of Use inventory dispensing devices and supervised installation across five airfields.

Cpg Global Leader In Temporary Tattoos, Children'S Activities And Crafts.

Directed all Marketing and New Product Development for a $13M business unit serving major retailers (Target, Toys R Us, Spencer's, Kmart, Claire's, etc.,). Three (3) direct reports and eight (8) Creative Team Members reported through my position. Managed all Marketing, branding, licensing, and the creation of innovative, transformative, and personalized product that puts Kid Powered fun into children's activities.• Increased EBITDA from 16% to 21% - attributable to higher margins on new products, product mix realignment, brand development, implementation of LEAN efficiencies and sales channel focus.• Instituted a new product development process that extended 3 core product categories, introduced 4 new product categories, and launched 24 new products increasing overall sales 25% over 2 years.• Identified the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) channel strategy that significantly contributed to overall sales growth. • Improved Creative Team throughput (200%) while reducing multi-department rework (60%) through Six Sigma process improvement, partnerships, automation, and organizational restructuring.• Renewed 6 licensor agreements and negotiated 5 new agreements to guarantee product relevancy.• Directed or led 12 "Voice of Customer" events utilizing focus groups, customer ideation sessions, buyer interviews, trade shows, on-line and social media surveys, and CRM data analytics.

Cpg Global Leader Designing And Manufacturing In-Ground Irrigation Systems

Directed all Marketing and New Product Development Activities within the $18M Rain Bird Accessories Strategic Business Unit. I had three (3) direct reports and dotted line responsibility for operations personnel. • Led integrated product teams, achieving schedule, cost, and budget metrics that culminated in the launch of differentiated products and 50% revenue growth.• P&L leadership improved operating margin 6% over 18 months through application of LEAN and Six Sigma techniques at multiple manufacturing sites in Mexico and USA.• Managed warranty defective return rates below 1% for electronic products and 1/2% for all others.• Received the 2010 Top Marketer Award from Rain Bird President for two successful product launches.• Created and managed "point of purchase" marketing campaign for 4 business units that educated both distributors and contractors on new product releases and installation tips, driving incremental sales by 13% over an 18 month period.• Identified and negotiated 2 strategic manufacturing and 2 technology partnerships to reduce new product development time.

Industry Leader Manufacturing Dry Bulk, Petroleum, And Heavy-Haul Trailers

Directed all Marketing, Sales, and product development activities for a $280M global manufacturer of aluminum bulk transport trailers. Seven (7) direct reports and over 70 personnel reported through my position. Managed Customer Service, Domestic and International Sales, Business Development, New Product Engineering Group, Heil Service Center, and Marketing.• Developed and championed a business strategy that delivered the brand promise in the United States, while "closing" international business opportunities that increased overall sales 33% to $280M.• Improved Operating Margin from 3.3% to 14.8% through a focus on strategic pricing, product rationalization, new product development, and LEAN manufacturing.• Secured new business valued at $69M by implementing a comprehensive stage-gate product development process that improved customer satisfaction and product quality. • P&L leadership improved Heil Trailer's Louisville KY Service Center sales 12.5% to $18M over 2 years while LEAN techniques increased operating margin 4.5%.• Negotiated and managed multi-year contracts with TACOM & USMC Program Offices.• Executed a Value Base Selling strategy that increased List Prices 25%, maintained market share leadership of 55%, and ensured "Voice of Customer" was represented in all integrated marketing campaigns and new product launches.

Leader In Design And Manufacture Of Power & Load Management Products

Directed all New Business Development and New Product Development for the $85M Power and Load Management Business Unit located in Sarasota, Florida. Managed three direct reports - 2 Project Managers and 1 Customer Service Manager along with six customer service representatives and a pricing analyst who delivered exceptional service to customer accounts.• Increased EBITDA from 16% to 24% - attributable to higher margins on new products, product mix realignment, and implementation of LEAN / Six Sigma techniques.• Devised the integration plan and led the team that combined two facilities into one $85M business eliminating $4.2M in redundant costs.• Developed new Line Replaceable Units (LRU) for Embraer consistent with the evolving subsystem strategy, and leveraged product performance attributes into new customer segments (automotive) utilizing a new product development process focused on "Voice of Customer". • Defined the business strategy, participated in the due diligence acquisition team, and led a cross-functional team in the integration of an $11.7M competitor's product line, expanding portfolio breadth and providing a form factor for the new Arc Fault Circuit Interrupt proprietary technology.• Prepared proposals and negotiated multiple commercial (i.e. Boeing 787, Embraer ERJ135/145, and ATR42/72) and military contracts (AH-64, JSF) to achieve 10% sales growth.

Industry Leader In Design & Manufacture Of Heavy Duty Truck Drive Train System

Initiated Marketing of the complete drivetrain system for Class V-VIII trucks.• Led a 7-person cross-functional team and directed a major strategic initiative to integrate the Gabriel Shock Absorber product line into Meritor’s $600M Commercial Vehicle Aftermarket.• Created and championed the integrated Drivetrain System Strategy with five (5) engine OEM manufacturers to provide transportation fleets an optimized performance value proposition.• Presented customer value propositions during Engineering Intellectual Property Workshops that inspired 50+ patent submissions in two years.• Redesigned the Meritor on the Move channel incentive into an integrated marketing campaign that issued rewards based upon dealership loyalty, sales performance metrics, and product knowledge, increasing program sales by 50% over 2 years; generating annual transmission sales of $42M.• Equipped and trained the 40-person Meritor field sales force with innovative Value Base Selling tools that realized 1st year overall sales increase of 10%.• Achieved QS9000 certification for the Transmission, Clutch, and Driveline Division within 8 months.

Industry Leader In Design & Manufacture Of Auto / Light-Duty Truck Components

Managed all Anti-Friction Bearings, Oil Seals, and Import Engine Parts product lines. Developed markets for these products in Latin America, South Africa, Australia, and North America.• Authored and executed the Marketing and Sales plan, capitalizing on US aftermarket distribution competencies that increased annual sales by 10% to $24.5M.• Coordinated non catalog product sales and executed the marketing plan for innovative product introductions into Argentina and Ecuador achieving annual sales of $725K.• Designed new agricultural products for Australia, realizing annualized sales of $250K.• Rationalized the Antifriction product line, achieving an annualized savings of $110K.

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), Mechanical Engineering

Activities and Societies: Honor Committee Representative, Hop Committee Representative, Aviation Club, German Club, Ski Club, Domestic.

Eller Executive Education (Leaders Edge Program)

Master'S Degree, Marketing/Marketing Management, General

Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Professional